Fayose: Why Tinubu Will Never Dump Wike for Fubara

• Says Obi is new face of opposition, declares others in ADC are spent forces

•Insists Tinubu not responsible for PDP’s problems

•Agbakoba: Rivers crisis shows politicians don’t care about Nigerians

Chuks Okocha, Emmanuel Addeh, Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Sunday Ehigiator in Lagos

A former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, has argued that President Bola Tinubu will not sacrifice the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for Governor Siminalayi Fubara, in his bid to resolve the current impasse between them.

Fayose, who spoke during an interview aired on Arise Television yesterday, maintained  that the President values loyalty, strength, and political influence and would not dump Wike who possesses those features.

The former governor appealed to Fubara to make peace with Wike in his own interest, questioning the sincerity of the Rivers governor’s reconciliatory efforts in the past, and stressing that Fubara must show genuine remorse.

In recent times, the feud between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, has evolved into one of the most consequential political battles in Nigeria. What began as a quiet struggle for influence soon after Fubara assumed office in May 2023 has since spilled into the open, exposing deep cracks in the relationship between both leaders.

While Wike is widely seen as seeking to retain firm control over the Rivers political structure, Fubara also appears to be gradually asserting his independence, framing his actions as a defence of constitutional authority and the mandate given to him by voters.

But Fayose opined that those encouraging the governor to resist reconciliation would abandon him if his position weakened, drawing from his personal experience. “People that were saying I should fight back in those days, they were not there when I was isolated and when I was alone. That’s all I would say to you,” Fayose noted.

On his reading of Tinubu’s body language on the matter, Fayose stressed that the President does not like ingratitude. “The current situation, the President himself, that I know, hates ingratitude,” he posited.

He argued that the recent emergency rule imposed by the President worked in Fubara’s favour, warning that impeachment would have ended his political career. “The emergency rule was all about winning for Governor Fubara. By now Governor Fubara would have been history. Because the moment you are impeached, you are out of the way. You cannot contest,” he pointed out.

Besides, Fayose suggested that Fubara’s reported foreign trip reflected desperation rather than strength. “If Fubara has gone to meet the President, then it shows he needs help. You know when you don’t praise God, when you refuse to humble yourself, look for peace, you’ll just be running helter skelter. What he’s looking for is inside his pocket,” he opined.

Fayose reiterated his position that if Tinubu was left to choose between Wike and Fubara, he will pick the FCT minister anyday. “Let me say this to Nigerians. The Asiwaju that I know, the President of Nigeria that we know will not get rid of a Wike for a Fubara.

“There’s a difference between the office and 001. What brought about the 001? Who gave you the platform to call yourself the 001? It is a sad narrative for Governor Fubara to be struggling. Rather, he should manage the situation.

“Even if Wike is saying he is the leader, it is not to the mouth of Fubara to be contesting that. We all know the truth,” he said.

Fayose suggested that Wike’s political relevance to the president is based on his performance as FCT minister and his ability to deliver electoral outcomes for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Wike is in Abuja performing; we’ve never had it so good in Abuja. Even a blind man can’t deny that,” he added.

Away from the Wike, Fubara imbroglio, Fayose said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is no longer Nigeria’s dominant opposition party, attributing its decline to internal divisions. Besides, he described former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, as a major political figure to watch ahead of the 2027 elections.

He stated that the PDP has struggled to retain its status as the country’s leading opposition party because internal weaknesses made the party vulnerable, rather than actions taken by the ruling APC.

He added: “You must be very honest. When you are weak, tendencies are there for you to fall to the right of the stronger side,” dismissing claims that the PDP’s crisis should be blamed on Tinubu. “The challenges in the PDP, it’s not the fault of Asiwaju, the president. No. The failure in my home, God forbid, is not the fault of my neighbour,” he stated.

He opined: “The PDP caused themselves an insurrection. It’s a house that is divided against itself, and the nature of man is survival of the fittest.”

On Obi’s recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Fayose emphasised that the move has brought life to a dying ADC, describing the ex-Anambra governor as the only life in ADC.  “I’m not saying they (others in ADC) are not human beings. I’m saying they are largely spent forces,” he maintained.

He argued that if the ADC fails to field Obi, it will run into even deeper problems than those which necessitated its formation.

Meanwhile, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) has berated politicians for the crisis rocking Rivers state, saying it showed that the political class had no interest in Nigerians and accusing them of selfishness.

“Well, what’s going on is a clear indication that our political class has no interest in Nigerians because I have not heard in any of these disputes that these people understand that they are governing Nigeria, and in particular, Rivers people,” Agbakoba said on Channels Television.

He added: “It’s a toxic situation in Rivers. First, the governor was in the PDP, and Mr. Nyesom Wike was pursuing him. He now bent over backwards, resigned from PDP, and went into APC.

“So, what the hell is the problem? I just don’t understand it, except it’s a power fight for 2027. That’s clear. When you have people in power in diverse political parties, rather than focus on Nigeria, they’re just interested in themselves.

“Why would there be an issue?  I don’t support Wike or Fubara. I don’t care for any of them. But if Fubara was elected on the PDP (platform) and he was forced out of the PDP into the APC, then what again is the issue? It’s difficult to understand,” the lawyer added.

Agbakoba reminded politicians that their political authority emanated from people’s votes.

“So, could they just kindly remember that they were elected by the votes of the Rivers people? And Rivers people will be terribly disappointed in what’s going on, because it’s as if no one exists in Rivers state except Fubara, Wike, and the political people,” he stated.